The Tu-134 first flew at the end of July 1963. At the end of October, during one of the prototype’s flights, a dangerous phenomenon known as “deep stall” occurred. Following subsequent research, the horizontal stabilizer area was increased by 30% in order to eliminate this serious aerodynamic problem. In November 1964, the Tu-134 tests were completed.
In the meantime, the number of passenger seats was increased. In 1966, new D-30 engines designed by Soloviev were fitted on subsequent pre-production aircraft, improving performance and flight safety. In January 1966, one of the test Tu-134s crashed due to excessive rudder deflection. After limiting the rudder deflection range, the aircraft was deemed airworthy and serial production was ordered to begin.
It very quickly gained favour among flight crews, who highly praised its performance, aerodynamic qualities and flight comfort. In November 1968, the Tu-134 received an international certificate conforming to the British BCAR standards. The relevant tests and examinations were entrusted to the Polish Civil Aircraft Inspection Authority. It was the first international certificate obtained by a Soviet-designed passenger aircraft, significantly facilitating the use of international airspace and sales to other countries.
In 1968, modernization of the Tu-134 began. An auxiliary power unit was installed in the tail section. It served to produce compressed air needed for cabin ventilation and heating, as well as for starting the turbojet engines. It also generated electrical power needed during ground stops when the main engines were not running. This technical solution was an extremely important improvement, as it made the aircraft independent of external power sources, which was particularly important at airports lacking adequate technical support. Upgraded D-30 engines with pneumatic starting and thrust reversers were installed, shortening the landing roll (earlier passenger Tu models used drag parachutes for this purpose). The new aircraft received an elongated fuselage, allowing for additional passenger seats. In April 1969, the new version designated Tu-134A was first flown. After completing trials in April 1970, the Tu-134A was put into production. It was demonstrated at the Paris International Air Show.
In the following years, the aircraft design was continuously improved, with a number of variants developed in response to rapid progress in aviation and user requirements. New radio equipment for communication and navigation, including satellite navigation, was constantly introduced, and a weather radar was also installed. The Tu-134 was produced serially from 1966 to 1970, and the Tu-134A and its development versions from 1970 to 1984. In total, including experimental machines, 852 aircraft were built.
Some Tu-134 aircraft were also built for military aviation needs or were adaptations of passenger aircraft for military purposes. The aircraft were used for transport and for training pilots (Tu-134UBL) and navigators (Tu-134Sh) for the supersonic medium-range
and long-range Tu-22M and Tu-160 bombers. Several aircraft were used as airborne command posts.
The Tu-134 and Tu-134A were also operated by Polish Airlines LOT and the Polish military aviation. The Tu-134 entered the history of Polish air transport as the first passenger aircraft powered by turbojet engines. The “jet age” at LOT began in November 1968, when the first two Tu-134s were delivered to Warsaw. They were introduced on passenger routes in April 1969. A total of 5 Tu-134 aircraft were purchased for LOT between 1968 and 1969. In 1973, the first Tu-134A was delivered to Poland. By 1978, a total of 7 such aircraft had been purchased.
The Tu-134 and -134A were used by LOT until the early 1990s. In the military aviation, 2 Tu-134 aircraft designated for special transport entered service in 1974. They were withdrawn from use
in 1991.
| Wingspan | 29.01 m |
| Length | 37.1 m |
| Takeoff weight | 47000 kg |
| Maximum speed | (cruising) 905 km/h |
| Ceiling | 11600 m |
| Range | (with 3500 kg payload) 2770 km |
| Armament | – |
| Engine | 2 x D-30 with 6800 kG thrust each |
